Grand Final top five: surprise selections

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Rheinberger had come off the bench for Eastern Suburbs in the preliminary final but the 1975 decider was his only start in first grade - before or since. He was an unknown in a star-studded cast. It was a master coaching ploy because it forced the already over-confident Roosters to allow for him. Easts won 38-0.

2 Paul Osborne 1994

Big Canberra prop Osborne had been out of first grade for weeks due to injury but when New Zealander John Lomax was suspended, the Raiders shocked many by recalling him for the biggest game of the season. Osborne had a charmed afternoon at the Sydney Football Stadium, laying on the first two tries as Canberra legend Mal Meninga was sent out a 36-12 winner. Osborne is a former Canberra politician and an ABC commentator with an expanding family.

3 Matt Geyer 1999

With brilliant five-eighth Scott Hill injured and the coach's son, Ben Anderson, sacked by club officials, Chris Anderson was forced to switch Matt Geyer from the wing to the pivot position. Although Geyer had played there as a schoolboy, he had little first-grade experience in the No.6 jumper. He helped form an effective combination between the forwards and backs in the Storm's 20-18 win.

4 Matt Callinan 1985

Bulldogs winger Callinan played only 12 first-grade games - but one of them was the 7-6 win over St George in the 1985 decider. Originally from Wingham, he started the year playing for Lakes United and starred against the Dogs in a trial match. From there, he won a contract in Sydney. Two tries in a 26-0 semi-final win over great rivals Parramatta meant he kept his starting spot for the tightest of deciders.

5 Anthony Collela 1997

Another player to get his chance thanks to a suspension, Collela played for Manly in the 1997 ARL decider when former Kangaroo Jim Serdaris was suspended. The durable rake who played plenty of first grade before finishing his career in Britain would have got a premiership ring, too - had Newcastle's Andrew Johns not worked his magic to put Darren Albert over for that fateful try in the 22-16 Knights victory.